Monday, 10 June 2013

It is that time of year again.

One thing that never alters in farming is the way that the seasons come round and the jobs associated with them. Silage season has begun. If you look in the photograph you will see a pale yellow field in the far distance - that field has already been silaged.

We are a little lower than that and our silaging is about to start this week. To that end the farmer has got his grass cutter out of the implement shed and is just about to overhaul it ready for cutting the first grass later in the week (weather permitting).

One thing about the grass cutting is that some of the ground nesting birds - curlew, oyster catcher, snipe - nest in the fields around here and are just hatching off their young. Those that hatch off in the pastures are in no danger but those that hatch off in the fields cut for winter feed need to get into the hedge-bottom as fast as they can before the cutter goes round. They do tend to move into the hedge bottom as soon as they are hatched - there is more safety there but inevitably some do get killed. I do remember one year in one of our pastures, the farmer put an electric fence round a curlew's nest so that the cows didn't trample it down.

Yesterday the farmer's walk was through protected meadows in Wharfedale. He says the wildflowers were amazing. Here, because of a protection order, the fields may not be cut until late July - when the wild flowers have seeded and the birds have fledged - and the grass is used primarily for hay. Here, in an area of large milking herds, silage is more important.

A friend is moving house and I went to see her this morning. Her garden is absolutely beautiful - I don't know how she can bear to leave it - so I have taken a couple of photographs of it for you to enjoy.

14 comments:

What a kind heart your farmer has. Your friends garden is delightful - it would certainly be a wrench to leave it.I have been venting my wrath on large lumps of clay soil and my hands are nearly too tired to type!

That garden is absolutely wonderful and I would hate to leave it. I hope your friend is able to replicate it at her new house. Some houses and gardens are tough to leave behind and always make you feel homesick.

I so enjoy these "what is going on this week" posts.I do not have any pastures to cut but summer is here in Tucson and there are certain thing I need to do. The temperatures are hovering about 106 everyday and this morning temperature was 84. So for me that means making sure there are quiet cool places for the animals to rest in the afternoon and water dishes put out. I don't feed the wild animals but if we people were not here there would be more places for the natural water to be.So I help out in my own small way.

What a beautiful garden, I hope she is moving somewhere that has a new garden to enjoy.

I recently stayed on a small farm in the mountains. The meadow was ablaze with flowers, no cutting going on, and nesting in a corner of the milking parlour a black cat with three newly born kittens. I always enjoy my farm holidays. And when I read your blog it reminds me of them.

It is difficult leaving a garden behind. I have done so several times.I have difficulty even looking at the old photos!That said, this garden is full of delights, as if everything I invested in all of the others culminates in this one.

Thanks for the visit!! I have browsed through your posts, and I have to say, your scenery is stunning!!! And that garden your friend is leaving - so beautiful against the stone buildings!!What is the yellow flowered plant that you use for silage? Here, the farmers use corn for silage, and don't crop anything with yellow flowers, unless it is canola or rapeseed.When I want to explore new blogs, I tend to go to one of the memes, such as Skywatch Friday, and browse there...